Donating random T-shirts, prom dresses

As a year of nearly nakedness streaks by us, I have begun to realize that I’m a jerk.
Maybe not the kind that sweeps your leg in the All Valley Tournament like in “Karate Kid” but I have to believe very close to it.

You see, in order to register for IU’s Nearly Naked Mile, participants donated clothing to help out the local Bloomington community. Yet deep in the recesses of my own closet, there is a box of clothes, untouched and waiting to be worn.

My archives, if you will — just in case I decide to be really into screen tees with snarky comments again.

Whether we like to admit it or not, we create an emotional attachment to certain garments in our closet, and it’s hard to separate that bond, especially when that bond is with a cute pair of red flats.

However, it’s not healthy to be holding on to the same wardrobe that was cool during the era when the iPod looked similar to a hockey puck.

We bog ourselves down with clothes that we forget we even have until that fateful day we decide to take a journey into that box, trunk or pile of clothes that sits in the dark corner.

Which got me thinking, are we afraid that the trend tide might turn and everyone will be wearing Old Navy “tech vests” again without us?

What if everyone gets back into Limp Bizkit after you just gave away your red fitted cap? You’re definitely not going to get any nookie then.

So what do we actually give away? Items are easier to let go of — anything that your grandmother bought you and random T-shirts from that call out meeting freshman year.

But when you think about it, if the whole meaning is to give out of the kindness of your heart, why not share something that has a part of it?

Instead of hoarding your prom dresses for your unappreciative future daughter who will never understand why you thought rose tulle was a good idea, give it to a young girl right now who would love to show up in pretty pink but can’t afford to pay the full retail price.

Or instead of treating yourself to a Triscuit until you can fit into your “skinny” jeans again, have a cookie and donate them to someone who can actually use them.
Plus, then you can have a cute pair of good-looking jeans that you don’t have to be on life support system to wear.

We have to change our perspective on this; donating isn’t throwing clothes to the wolves, it’s giving to the world around us, to others who will probably appreciate the piece of clothing better than we ever did.

So what should we try on this week? A little humanity, one size fits all.